


If I Had a Heart

by HappyDagger



Series: Requests [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Bullying, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, M/M, Obsession, Possessive Behavior, Spanking, Theon got 99 problems but a Stark ain't 1, Thramsay - Freeform, no Greyjoy rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-06 20:14:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6768430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyDagger/pseuds/HappyDagger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Java1 said, "What if Roose sent young Ramsay to Pyke instead? How would he get along with Theon's brutal older brothers Rodrik & Maron?<br/>Who'd no doubt likely try to hurt him, and what about young Theon and Yara?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. More

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Java1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Java1/gifts).



Theon tried to slowly amble past Asha's room, but hadn't made it very far before her head popped into the hallway. "I told you to come get me!"

"For what?" He shrugged innocently. The instant she ducked back through the open door, he took off running.

She'd nearly caught up to him on the cold beach, but he reached the summit of the cliff before she could. Rodrik's boat was pulling back and straightening out. It still scraped the dock's dull orange bumpers before he hopped out to tie it down. "Drunk twat," Asha muttered.

Theon smirked. "It's so weird. What is he doing here?"

"Don't you know?" Asha angled her sharp face to mock him. "He's here to replace you."

"I get to leave then?"

Asha's head fell back when she laughed. He was broader than her now, but she still _seemed_ much bigger. Her booming voice and quick, open gestures made her slight frame expand into an imposing presence.

Theon watched Rodrik swear and kick at his boat. He threw a luggage bag, which probably weighed more than Theon, over his shoulder like it was nothing at all. Maron was laughing behind him. They were both tall and tan with wide shoulders and sinuous muscles.  Theon and Asha looked more like their mother, their Harlaw side. Asha wasn't a son, and Theon was the son no one wanted.

Theon leaned this way then that as his brothers stomped up the sandy wooden stairs but he could only make out a bit of the Bolton boy’s shoulder and catch a wave of his dark brown hair. Rodrik shoved the luggage at Theon. “Here, fucker.”

“Take him to your room,” Maron said as he was passing and messed Theon’s hair.

“My room?” Theon pushed against the grey suitcase to get it upright, back onto its rollers. He looked up into a set of piercing eyes, so light they couldn’t justifiably be called blue.

The Bolton boy’s scalp, ears, eyes, cheeks, and mouth smiled together in an orchestrated crescendo. “Hello, Theon.” He pinched Theon’s hoodie and pulled him closer to fix his hair. “Do you have that, buddy?”

Theon glanced down at the rolling suitcase and back at his first friend. “Yeah! I, um…” He scratched the back of his head. “They keep saying you’re ‘Bolton’s son’ but I’m sure you have a first name,” he tried to joke.

The boy didn’t look offended at all. “Ramsay.”

 

“So… this is my room. There’s a guest room that’s really-”

“Is it bigger?”

“Yeah, actually. Do you want to see?”

“Sure. Does that one have a bathroom?” Ramsay stuck his head in Theon’s closet then started pulling out and going through his dresser drawers with mild interest.  

“Yeah.”

“Well, this room doesn’t.” Ramsay was clearly unimpressed. “We’ll move in the other one.”

“Sure. It’s just down…” _What did he say?_ “... the hall."

 

“Hey! Much better!” Ramsay jumped on the bed and kicked his shoes off. “Why the fuck do you sleep in that closet?”

Theon shrugged. “Well, you can have this one.” He finished pulling Ramsay’s luggage in and left it beside the walk-in closet.

“Nice window. Didn't your dad say we'd stay in the same room?”

Theon shook his head and took a step towards the door. “He’s not my father. That was my brother.”

“Wow! What is he, like, forty?!” Ramsay laughed. “Is your dad 100? Is that why you’re so weird?” Theon watched his worn gray converse high top bump against the hardwood floor. “Were you an accident?”

“Yeah.” Theon chewed his lip and rubbed the hair on his forearm. “Well, I can get someone to wash those sheets for you.”

“Aw, don’t look so sad.” Ramsay hopped down and seemed to appear at once in front of Theon’s face. “I miss having a brother.”

“You…”

“Mine died,” Ramsay said softly. “That’s why my father sent me away. He’s grieving.”

“Oh shit. Fuck, I’m sorry, man.”  When Theon tilted his head up to look at Ramsay, his face was painted with heartbreak. He was just a big wounded heart and a tangled bundle of nerves. It was exciting just to stand near. So many buttons to push, such dramatic reactions sweeping through his expression while he bravely tried to hide it all.

Ramsay licked his lips and pulled Theon in to hug and smell him. “It’s been so hard.” _What else do people say?_ “At least he’s in a better place, right?” Theon made a sympathetic groan. It was so easy. “I’ve been so lonely, Theon. He died in his sleep,” Ramsay whispered to the ear that stuck out through wavy brown hair just to hear him. “I’m scared to sleep alone.” Ramsay released Theon and patted his shoulder. “So move your shit in here.”

“Oh…” Theon looked around uncomfortably. “I don’t know if I’m allow-”

Ramsay’s face darkened. “Why not?”

“I don’t… would you tell them with me?” he tried to ask casually.

Ramsay’s face became a sunny day once again. “Of course, I will! Don’t worry, I’m here now.”

Theon’s brow furrowed in adorable confusion. Ramsay had to fight the urge to give the sweet thing a little bite. He smirked instead. “What are you waiting for? Go on. I’m going to take a shower. Your island smells like shit, you know that?”

“Uh…” Theon treaded in indecision so Ramsay leaned closer with a grin sharp enough to push him in the right direction. “Ok.”

“Good!” Ramsay hummed to himself and went to take a shower. This wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	2. Wrapped in Plastic

Asha came to a sudden stop when she saw Theon carry an armful of folded clothing towards the guest room and retracted her head in dismay. “Doesn’t he have his _own_ clothes?”

“Well, yeah. He wouldn’t fit in these anyway.” Theon leaned against the wall with a huff.

“Ssssoooo... what the hell are you doing?”

“Fuck, I don’t know,” he laughed. It suddenly seemed so stupid. “He wants me to stay with him.” Theon shrugged and hoped she had something to say about it. He just wasn’t sure what was right or even normal in this kind of situation.

“So what, you’re going to move out of your own bedroom for some douche nozzle you just met?”

“I don’t know, I said!” He threw a hand up and they grinned at each other because it _was_ pretty fucking ridiculous. “He’s scared to be alone,” Theon confided in a whisper.

“He didn’t _look_ scared. He looked like some lucky asshole who'd just found himself a little fuckboy to wait on him during his stay.”

Theon made a show of rolling his eyes. “Don’t you have a girlfriend to finger or some shit?”

“Don’t you? Oh, no,” Asha shook her head and laughed in a way that crawled like razor-footed millipedes under his skin. “Of course not. You have a sticky computer, though, that’s almost like a nice pair tits to grab or… whatever it is you’re into.”

Theon smelled lavender fabric softener and realized he’d been squeezing the clothes to his chest. “Animatronic limbs.”

“What?”

“Dismembered animatronic limbs, Asha. That’s what I did with your Ferbie. Remember? Captian Jack?” He ducked before the mug she hurled could hit him. It bounced off the wall then cracked on the floor. He was always faster. “I just have his little foot and one blinking eye.” Theon did an impression for her; the left side of his face twitching, he extended his right foot as if reaching for help.

“You stupid useless needledick asshole!” Theon skirted her punch and laughed when she brushed up against the wall. “Go ahead.” Asha straightened herself and her band T. “Move in with your boyfriend. Have fun explaining that shit to Rodrik.”

“He’s not- I’m not! He’s never here anyway.”

“Sure and dad won’t find out for, oh, three months. That’s enough time to look for a halfway house, right?”

“Hi!” Ramsay burst forth so quickly, Theon had to wonder if he’d been waiting to jump out. “Asha? Is that right? Is that you?” He yanked her hand from her side and shook it vigorously smiling wide. “So nice to meet you. I’m Ramsay. Do you have a car? Maron said you did. Are you going out tonight? Any cool parties? Is there a mall you could take us to? Are you going to see a movie maybe? Could you buy us R tickets? You’re cool, right?”

Asha made a sour face and tore her hand from his. “I was just leaving. Have fun, Theon.” She patted his shoulder and ran downstairs.

Ramsay smiled at Theon serenely then motioned towards the guest room. When Theon didn’t move his smile constricted slightly. “You were held up? Right?” Impatience darkened his expression. “Problem solved.”

“Well-” Theon tried to ignore Ramsay’s frown. “She’s right. Look, there’s only one bed. I can hang out until you fall asleep. You know? Don’t you want all that space to yourself?” Theon smiled and stepped back as Ramsay came forward, closer and closer until his stomach was touching the arms hugging Theon’s clothing. Ramsay kept staring Theon down, the way someone does before they hit you, in Theon’s experience. He let his clothes drop and tensed his arms as his heart pounded.

“You acted like you gave a shit. Why would you lie to me like that?”

“What?” Theon’s shoulders sank but his stomach kept twisting.

“I’m all alone on your fucking islands with a bunch of strangers who don’t want or like me. I’ve never been out of the North. I’d never seen the ocean before. I just lost everything. You _acted_ like you cared, like you were going to be my friend. But it doesn’t matter to you if I lost my dogs, my home, my girlfriend, my brother. Do you think I’m a pussy because it shook me up to watch the strongest man I knew, who I wanted to be, die screaming like he was killed by his own fucking nightmare?”

“No! Fuck!” Theon kept shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever see anyone… I don’t know how to do this.”

“Well, I do. Maybe you could say to yourself ‘my friend’s life is worth feeling a little awkward.”

“Your… life?”

Ramsay pulled back and turned away. “It doesn’t matter. _Does it?_ ”

“No, no! It matters! I mean, you matter. Just calm down and-”

As Ramsay swung back around a warm smile grew on his suddenly cherubic face. “Thanks, buddy.” He grabbed Theon’s shoulders with both hands and gave him a heartfelt shake. “That means a lot. I need you.”

“ _Me?”_ Theon nearly whispered.

“Here, I’ll help you!” Ramsay dropped to pick up Theon’s clothing and marched away with it into the guest room. Their room, Theon supposed. _Fuck._

 

“So…” Ramsay flipped through the channels while he lay sprawled out on the bed. “What the fuck is there to do here?”

“Um, not too much. We can walk to town or take a boat to one of the other islands. Harlaw is nice.”

“Like, you could take us?”

Theon leaned out of the closet to answer him with a shy smile. “Yeah. I have a little speedboat.”

“Cool.”

Theon hung up the last of his jeans.

“My clothes should go in the dresser.”

Theon frowned and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, sure.” He shrugged uncomfortably and felt his insides screaming that this was all wrong. “If my brother… when Rodrik finds out he will fucking kill me.” He felt like apologizing for… not being normal? For Rodrik? For his whole fucking family? For not having his shit together. For making noise outside of his safe little corner.

“I can fix that.”

Theon swallowed. _Please don’t like me. It will hurt so much when you’re disappointed._

“Come here.”

Theon looked up slowly. “What?”

“I said come here,” Ramsay encouraged. He sat up against the large pillows behind him and patted the bed. “You look so sad. Talk to me.”

“THEON!”

He spun hearing Rodrik shout his name. “Shit. Stay here.” Theon raised a hand,  looking very much like a rescuer calming a hostage. “Don’t come down-” 

But Ramsay was already passing by, giving Theon a funny look. _Watch this._


	3. In this Together Now

“ _Hey!”_ Theon hurried to catch up. “I’m serious! Just stay up here!”

“Well, that would be awkward.”

 

Rodrik was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, huffing already. “That was Uncle Rod. What the holy fuck is this shit about you going to Harlaw?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Theon asked quietly from the staircase.

Rodrik was in the mood to take everything as a challenge and insult. He didn’t want a solution or to hear an apology, he’d already decided how this would end; it was clear from his clenched fists and twitching biceps.

“THAT” his hand shot out to point at Ramsay’s serene face. “Is YOUR problem to deal with! You’re not going anywhere!”

“Ok.” Theon swallowed. “Well… how long is he here for?”

“What did I _just_ say?”

Theon’s eyes dropped miserably. “He’s my problem.”

“You think I’m here to wipe your fucking ass?”

 _God, please kill one of us._ At least his fucking father wouldn’t be here for a few months. Rodrik was usually easier to deal with. He wasn’t as sick yet, he still had more good days than bad. “No. It’s fine. Come on, Ramsay,” he whispered.

“Don’t turn your back on me you little faggot!” So that ended up being the reason Rodrik picked to beat Theon this time, because he turned.

Ramsay was rather amused by the informative scene until Theon’s head bounced off the stone landing. He launched himself onto Rodrik and felt the bridge of his nose give under Ramsay’s knuckles before he was shoved into the wall and backhanded over and over.

“Stop it!” Theon staggered to his feet, holding the back of his head. When Rodrik punched Ramsay’s stomach, Theon face went cold. “ _Stop. It._ ” He wrapped his arm around Rodrik’s neck and pulled his wrist to his shoulder to squeeze Rodrik’s wretched neck; to squeeze the fucking life out of him. It wasn’t hatred or even anger that had taken over, it was a cold, unyielding sense of what had to be done.

Ramsay laughed and pushed himself off the wall. “Hold on, killer. It’s alright.” His eyes seemed to pull Theon’s in, somehow. “It’s ok, Theon. Let go.” He smiled in a way that just couldn’t be a lie. Theon sniffed and released his brother who immediately sucked air in with a horrible wheeze he’d never be able to forget.

“Oh, god. What did I…”

“Let’s get some ice packs, buddy.” Ramsay slid his arm around Theon’s shoulders. “My father says a good trick to keep your temper under control is to repeat two words; _plausible deniability_.”

Theon let himself be lead around the kitchen. He gasped when the bag of frozen rice lightly pressed into the back of his skull. “I am so fucked.”

“You really think he’ll tell someone? I’d think he’d be too embarrassed to cry to your old man.” Ramsay moved sweat-matted hair out of Theon’s eyes and guided his slender wrist back to the ice pack. “Hold that.” He wetted a paper towel and cleaned the blood off Theon’s swollen lip. He was getting dark circles under both his sea green eyes. It was so beautiful, Ramsay had to look away. He tore the paper towel up before tossing it.

“He’s going to kill me,” Theon murmured behind Ramsay. He was so lost. Even in his own house, he didn’t know how to get home.

“Is that the first time you fought back?” Ramsay could tell the answer but delighted in hearing it. Theon nodded instead. “Really?” Ramsay pressed.

“Well… against him.”

“Oh? What is your other brother an asshole too? Here, drink some water. Sit down.”

Theon pushed himself up onto a barstool and let his forehead rest on the cool, smooth island counter. “Not really.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah. He really doesn’t like me.”

“Does he push your sister around?”

“Sometimes,” Theon mumbled. He’d never told anyone these things. What did they expect, letting a stranger in here? It felt a little better after Ramsay heard these things and didn’t seem to mind. “He was mean to my mom.”

“Is she dead?” Ramsay’s hand began to rub his narrow, spiny back. He shuddered a little but Ramsay didn’t mind that either.

“Um…” Theon watched his toes wiggle through the triangle his chest and bent arm made.

“Theon?”He raised his nauseous head a little to look at Ramsay before it collapsed again. “That’s a real straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, baby.”

 _What did he say?_ Maybe he said ‘buddy’ or he was just fucking around like guys seemed to do. “Yes or no?” Ramsay insisted.

“Well…”

“THEON!”

Theon started laughing, but it really wasn’t funny, it was just _SO_ not-funny that it really was. He shook his head, rolling his forehead on the cool marble. “No… she’s not. I don’t like to talk about it.”

“Gods, you’re fucked up!” Ramsay smacked his shoulder. “That’s awesome! Me too. Come on, buddy,” he coaxed sweetly. “Come lay down. Do you need me to carry you?”

“No!” Theon jumped up and stumbled. He grabbed his head as the world slid this way then that, turning red then black all around the edges.

Ramsay caught him and grabbed ice packs for them both. “Hey, once you feel better we should go out on your boat.”

 

Rodrick was still stunned and coughing on the floor when they came to the stairwell. Ramsay kicked his ribs as they passed by and smiled.


	4. Who Taught Ya?

Theon shut all the drawers, one after another and pulled the empty suitcase into his room… his old room? He just shook his head and knew he was being an idiot.

“Nice laptop,” Ramsay said dryly. “You should lay down, I told you to.” But he was still on the bed.

Theon tilted his laptop against his hip and looked down at it. “Is it? Thanks.”

Ramsay sighed loudly when Theon sat at the desk and opened his stupid ancient laptop with its tacky stickers to start tapping away at the keyboard like Ramsay wasn’t even there. _Like he didn’t fucking matter._

 

“What are you doing?” he said sweetly in Theon’s ear. He moved a piece of unruly hair behind it so it could stick out more to hear his voice better.

“Uh…” his head turned pulling the ear away. His eyes were locking on the screen.

“Who is that? You’re fucking boyfriend?” Ramsay’s tight smile could sink into as that golden skin as if it were Kobe steak.

“No,” Theon laughed. “That’s my sister’s boyfriend. I guess. He’s nicer to me than she is.”

“Huh.” Ramsay started kicking the leg of their desk chair and leaned over the back so that when he exhaled, he could watch Theon’s hair vibrate. He smirked at Theon’s uncomfortable huffing and shifting and started kicking harder.

“Do, I mean, did you want something or…” Theon turned to look up at Ramsay with his large, defenseless eyes. “I guess you’re bored, right?”

“I hate being bored.”

Theon could understand that. He couldn’t really argue, he would be bored as well if he’d been dumped here. “Well, my friend is having a party in Lordsport.” He smiled a little, ready to apologize the moment he felt a little happy. “You wanna go?”

“Yeah! Hey, I’m, like. really shy around a lot of people, especially new people, you know?” Ramsay confided with glistening eyes. “You’re not going to be an asshole and ditch me for all your friends, are you?”

“No. I don’t… people are afraid of my family and think, you know,” he waved around at the mansion. “I just try to get people to not-hate me,” he joked lightly. “Cool, so I’ll get ready.” Theon finally closed his fucking laptop. Ramsay could foresee an accident coming its way.

“Why? So you can take more selfies for your Instagram?” Ramsay’s upper lip curled with an irritating quiver when he tried to smile. Theon buzzed around their room trying to find something. _Condoms?_

“I mostly use Instagram for my nature shots now.”

“Hmm.” Ramsay frowned and snatched Theon’s phone. He tilted the screen and saw a greasy trail between the 2 and 5, so unlocking it was pretty easy. One notification after another popped up on his slutty android. Snapchat? Grindr! “Let’s go!”

Theon stopped, holding a new shirt in one hand. He had those deep lines that led down from his hips. Ramsay approached Theon to rub his bumps of spine and pointy shoulder blades. “You look fine. Come on, who are you getting dressed up for anyway? I’m already here.”

Theon smiled uneasily. His shirt pushed Ramsay’s hand away as he pulled it down.

 

They took Theon’s speedboat, somehow Ramsay ended up driving. He took to it instantly, which was fortunate as Theon left Wex’s house unable to even drive a boat through the wide, smooth channel.  

Everyone seemed fascinated by Ramsay as soon as he walked in. He beat everyone at quarters, which was usually Theon’s trick. He still stuck close to Theon and kept him in the conversation, looking over or back at him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Theon, you didn’t tell me your friend had a pool.” “Hey, don’t you like that band, Theon?” “Yeah, it’s been a fucked up month, man. I’ve never seen my dad so freaked out, that’s the weirdest part. Theon’s been so nice, though.”

On Wex’s creaky porch, Ramsay raised an eyebrow at, what he thought were, Christmas lights wrapped around the rafters of a roof that was never finished. Theon was leaning with his elbows on his knees, whispering to some giggling girl with long hair when Ramsay yanked his chair over. “I made you a drink.”

 

Maron caught the little Bolton bastard sneaking in with Theon hanging limply over his shoulder. “Motherfucker.”

“Hi, uh… Maron, right? He’s fine. Just passed out.” Ramsay shrugged with his free shoulder and started upstairs with a casual smile.

Grabbing a fist of loose curls, Maron pulled Theon’s head up to look at his face. Then he gave it a slap Ramsay could feel shake through his chest. “Wake up.”

Theon started coughing and moaning so Ramsay carefully helped him to sit on the staircase. He slurred the usual questions one asks when finding themselves coming home, still drunk, at 5am.

Maron didn’t explain where he was or what had happened but asked, “What the fuck did you do to Rodrik?”

Ramsay snorted. “What did he do?” When Maron’s glare fell upon him, Ramsay felt compelled to add. “He’s, like, twice Theon’s age and size. What _could_ Theon do to him?”

“So who choked him out? Why is there a bruise on his neck? Why are his eyes bloodshot and his voice lost?”

“Well, Theon has two black eyes and a welt on the back of his head, but I guess you don’t care about that. His drunk, stronger, older brother with the terrible violent temper was surely Theon’s innocent victim. Hey, I get it. I’ve only known him for a day and I. Am. Terrified.”

Maron’s chest started heaving as his face seemed to harden. A storm raged behind his eyes. “So… you did it?”

Maron took off his belt and Ramsay smiled. “Well,” he shrugged coyly, “f you have to blame someone.”

 

Theon was roused by the second strike and finally sat up by the third.

“Ughhh,” Ramsay moaned biting his lip.

“Shut up I said!” Maron hit his bare back again leaving another red welt.

“Call me, Master Bolton. Try to affect a German accent; East Berlin.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Can I call you Mr. Tybald?”

Maron raised arm slowly lowered. He looked bewildered and disgusted.

Ramsay looked over his shoulder, impatiently. “What’s wrong? No roleplay? Or…” he lowered his voice to a near-whisper, “do you wanna touch my cock? It’s ok if you do.”

Maron’s belt hit the kitchen tile. “Take him upstairs! Get the fucking FUCK out of my sight you sick cunt!”

Ramsay went through the motions of a little ‘aw shucks’ just for good measure, then grabbed his shirt from the floor and helped Theon to his feet. “Come on,” he laughed under his breath.


	5. When You're Mine

Theon’s bed never felt so soft.  He rolled around and smelled the sheets then remembered that it wasn’t really his bed. It didn’t matter. “I can’t believe… so drunk. I only had two,” he protested. The lights went out as Theon exhaled. “Wait, wait.” He tried to sit up. “I hafta to eat something or I’m gonna be so sick.” He squinted and looked around the quiet room. “Ramsay?”

Dim light filled the doorway. “I’ll get you something.”

“Could you turn-” the door shut out the light. Theon’s nervous discomfort was lost in the warm easy tide inside him. He laid back down and shut his eyes, only for one moment. He just had to remember how to get to the light switch, then down the hall. He really needed to pass out in his own bed, so that’s what he would do… after he rallied himself. Theon went through the plan in his mind one more time.

 

The bed was so warm.When did he take his shirt off? He was so fucking hard for some reason, but he had to piss. “Shit.” 

Theon stumbled through the dark with his hands outstretched until he found the bathroom. “Ah!” The light was far too bright and he looked god awful, but pretty sexy in a high fashion, 90s herion chic, hot mess kind of way. “Why do you always and only look so god damned good when I’m drunk?” he asked the mirror.  _ Fuck yes _ , he looked ripped and the bulge pushing through his open fly was fucking huge. “I would totally fuck you, baby.”

 

“Come on, fucking…  _ calm your shit down _ ,” Theon groaned looking up at the ceiling. At last, he heard his piss hit the toilet water like a sweet song and felt relief. “Thank you.”

“Talk to your dick a lot?”

“What?” Theon’s head swung around to find Ramsay leaning in through the cracked door. “I couldn’t piss because my prick was being a dick… or the other way around. I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. Was I walking around with my fucking fly open, man?”

Ramsay shrugged and invited himself in, causing Theon’s stream to stop suddenly. “Don’t be shy.” Ramsay leaned against the bathroom counter. “I brought you some nachos and guacamole I found.”

“Cool. Thanks.” He couldn’t help but follow Ramsay’s gaze. He swallowed and closed his eyes so he could finish. 

Ramsay’s voice didn’t disappear but dropped lower. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“Uh, yeah.” _Come on, just finish._ Theon was pretty sure he could think himself sober. He started by trying to speak very soberly. “Did you also have fun?” Ramsay came closer and Theon hurried to give his cock a few shakes before stuffing it back into the safety of his jeans. 

“Who’s that girl you like so much?” Ramsay raised his eyebrows, ready to be impressed. 

“Uh…” Theon inched closer to the sink and told his hands to wash  each other so he could concentrate. “Gysella! She’s cool.”

“Yeah?” Ramsay hopped up to sit on the counter. “So?” He tilted his head suggestively. “You fuck her or what?”

“Heh,” Theon felt strangely uncomfortable talking about it. Maybe it was because she was his friend… or could be. Maybe it was the intense look in Ramsay’s eyes or his too-wide smile. 

“Oh, fuck you, pussy. You never touched her.”

“Yes, I did!”

“Bullshit. You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

“Virgin?! Didn’t you hear what she was saying to me?”

Ramsay batted his dark lashes. “I couldn’t quite hear. Did she ask for my number?”

“No,” Theon laughed. “She was asking me to come back to her place.”

Ramsay stopped smiling. “And you were trying to figure out how to get rid of me.” 

Theon stopped smiling. “No.” He tried to walk out but Ramsay planted his foot on the wall to block the way. 

“You asked, ‘Do you have a room he can crash in? Does Wex?’”

“Well… I mean,” Theon felt caught in some horrible scheme or treacherous lie, but he didn’t do anything wrong. This was stupid. Why did it feel so fucking intense? He just had to stay sane and keep making sense, calmly and kindly. “Look,  _ I was going to ask you _ . I wouldn’t just  _ leave you _ if  it bothered you, I swear. I don’t really remember what happened after that. You gave me a drink…”

“What did I ask you, Theon? Do you remember?”

Suddenly the unsteady room seemed tighter and brighter than before. Theon could feel his heart pounding in his head. “I wasn’t going to leave you, Ramsay. Come on, man. What’s wrong?”

“ _ What’s wrong _ ? Did you happen to fucking notice that I got my ass kicked for you twice? That I got your sister off your back? You think Rodrik will ever raise a hand to you again? I’m trying to help you, Theon. I  _ bled  _ for you.”

Theon was certain Ramsay had  _ not  _ bled or even bruised much, but this clearly wasn’t the time to make such a correction. “I-I appreciate it. I’m sorry.”

Ramsay rolled from the counter to his feet to pinning Theon to the wall by his thin wrists.  _ “Are you?” _

Theon searched Ramsay’s eyes. “Yes.”

“Show me.”

“What does tha-” The room slipped past so quickly, Theon’s lazy gaze couldn’t keep up. He felt his legs stumbling beneath him but didn’t remember telling them to move. In fact, it seemed he should stop and fight. 

 

He crashed then rolled to a stop on the floor. It didn’t hurt, but it might tomorrow. With a low groan, Theon lifted his head and watched Ramsay’s shiny black combat boots slowly make their way to the bed. 

“Maron left this in the foyer, where your family seems to like to attack. What is it?”

Theon slowly pushed himself up to sitting. As drunk as he was, the horrible feeling in his stomach was still powerful enough to let him know something awful was happening. Cold needles seemed to cover his numb tongue. Theon didn’t want to see it, so he looked away and thought about crawling under the bed. 

“Do you know why I’ve been protecting you all day, Theon?”

He shook his head, afraid to guess. Ramsay’s slow blossom of a smile made Theon fall backwards onto his palms.

“Yes, you do. No one is going to hurt you anymore, but me.”

“Hey,” Theon barely said. “This isn’t funny.”

Ramsay slowly shook his head and picked  the long paddle off the dresser. “I don’t think you’re sorry at all, Theon.” He tossed it up to give it a little spin and felt it’s weight. “Is this what your old man used to beat you with?”

After crawling back an inch, Theon froze under Ramsay’s ice cold glare. “Sometimes.”

“Come here.”

Theon touched the foot of the bed and stammered, “Stop- stop it. I don’t want … whatever you’re doing. Stop it.”

Ramsay smacked the wood against his palm. “You moved it up from three to five.” 

With a body too loose and slow to fight anyone, Theon scrambled to crawl under the bed, but his ankle was caught. 

“Fine,” Ramsay laughed. “Seven.”


	6. Very Special

Theon was vaguely aware that his legs were kicking behind him. He hardly felt his chest running across the carpet he clawed at uselessly when he flew out from under the bed in a sudden snap. His chin bumped against the floor making his jaw chatter.

Ramsay pulled, then pushed the captured ankle into curling over the small of his back. Wrapping a hand around the thrashing foot, above just above its pinky toe, Ramsay let the ankle go to wrap his free wrist behind it. He clasped his own wrist to secure the foot and bent the bad little piggies towards the floor.

Before he could finish processing the rapid movements, Theon’s calf ignited in excruciating pain which ran down the outside of his ankle to the little toes Ramsay was twisting. “STOP! _Please!_ ” Theon screamed out in pain and panic. “DON’T! You’ll break it! _PLEASE_!”

“I’m not going to break your ankle,” Ramsay said kindly. “I’m going to blow out your ligaments. Feel them tearing around this little ball of bone here. Ligaments pop, actually. Snap, crackle, pop. It almost sounds like knuckles cracking.” He bent the foot a little more. “Feel it?”

Theon couldn’t answer. He was hacking up wails and choking on screams as his fist pounded the carpet. He didn’t hear anything like knuckles cracking.

After his foot sprang back to straightening out, Ramsay carefully lowered it to the floor and stood right next to Theon’s shoulder.

He tried to at least cry because he was so angry. His face was wet with sweat, tears, and drool. It was a mess he curled in a tight ball to hide, but he couldn’t hide from the hurt and hopelessness or the fact that he was only mad at himself for being such a pathetic lonely fucking idiot. Ramsay pet his head lovingly to soothe him, it seemed. It only made Theon shrink and shudder.

“It’s not a fracture,” he said softly. “Just a sprain. You can heal right here, at home. I’ll help you.”

A deep whine ripped, stuttering from Theon’s chest.

“What’s that?” Ramsay asked patiently. “Are you very sorry you hurt my feelings?”

Theon nodded as he rolled this way then that. His hands kept trying to grab his ankle, then they’d recoil from the pain their touch inflicted. Gutteral sounds squeezed through his gritted teeth one after another.

“Good. I know you are. Seven. Just be good and take it.” Ramsay scooped Theon up like a sleeping child then bent to grab Balon’s paddle and carried both to the desk chair. It couldn’t be the same one he sat in to check Reddit this morning, that would be perverse somehow. “Then I’ll forgive you.”

 

Ramsay did forgive Theon, as promised, then laid him in their bed. Reduced to whimpering, Theon didn’t fight when Ramsay pulled the boxers off of his deep red ass.

 _“Please.”_ He grabbed Ramsay’s wrist when his white hands cupped Theon’s tan face.

Ramsay pulled back just long enough to slap Theon then rushed in like cresting wave and crashed his wet tongue deep into Theon's mouth. There was a terrible force between them Theon couldn’t pretend to himself not to understand. Ramsay’s hands ran smoothly down Theon’s jaw, up behind his ears to pull him even closer, to swallow him. His hips bucked and swayed under Ramsay’s as he shook out the breath he’d been holding in.

Ramsay kissed his cheek then whispered in Theon’s ear, “ _I knew you loved me too._ ”

 

***

 

“See that orange guy?” Theon mumbled.

Asha glanced up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah.”

“That’s your boyfriend.”

She smirked dryly. “See that rhyming lunatic beside him?”

“Yup.”

“That’s your girlfriend.”

“Shit.” Theon winced as he pulled himself up to sit more comfortably on the couch. He’d had enough of politics and tried a cops and lawyers show. “Hey, Asha. See that corpse?”

“Not really. It’s covered with a tarp, dipshit.” She threw her legs over the arm of the recliner Maron usually sat in and eyed Theon’s ankle, yet again.

“Well, the dumpster right behind it is your house.”

“Fuck me. Where’s your little friend?”

“On the phone with his dad, I think,” Theon said as flatly as anything else he had that afternoon. “See that wiggling maggot?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s your tampon.”

Asha looked up, not terribly amused by that one. “Oh? See the tweezers he’s using to pick the maggots out of the skull?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s what you use to jerk off.”

Theon snorted. “Ow.” He swallowed hard. His Grejoy smile slowly faded.

Asha sat up and put her phone down. “What is it?”

“It’s metal and pointy. Dicks are very sensitive. Do the world a favor and stick to vaginas.”

She sat back and frowned. “Please. Why pick? Like anyone  can decide what they want anyway.” Theon looked up at a sound Asha missed and started chewing his thumbnail. “Hey, Qarl will be here soon. Do you need anything?”

Theon smirked a little. “Wow. I should do more stupid drunk shit if it gets you to like me.”

“I… well? What the fuck do you want?”

“I want you to look at that creepy broken swing behind the caution tape.”

“Ok.”

“Because that’s your car.”

The doorbell rang. Asha popped up from the chair and stomped over to mess her brother’s wavy hair. The Bolton fuckhead waltzed in as she was leaving. “You need a new ice pack.”

“I have it.” Ramsay switched the melted one out and put the new one on Theon’s purple ankle.

Asha stared the fucker down as he fixed Theon's hair, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Maron left this morning so call me if you need anything.”

“Oh,” Theon said softly. “Ok. Thanks.”

“We’re fine. Bye.”  Ramsay sat right beside Theon and let his arm fall around Theon’s shoulders.

Asha threw her backpack over her shoulder. “See that trash compactor?”

Theon smirked and chewed his lip. “Yeah.”

“That’s your boyfriend.”

Ramsay’s rolled his eyes up to will her away impatiently.

It didn’t dawn on her until she’d locked the front door that he was _offended._ “Oh, Theon.” She paused on their porch and wondered if she should text their uncle. Quarl honked twice. She turned to flick him off and jog down to his waiting car.


End file.
